Twilight goes to Gregory House
by webhead112233
Summary: No one, nowhere, is safe from Gegory House. It is omni-present through all possible worlds. Twilight Sparkle is next.
1. Night 1

**Twilight goes to Gregory House**

_Why am I walking through this forest. I remember getting off the last train from Canterlot. Then I started walking home. Did I take a wrong turn and end up in the Everfree? No, these aren't the right kind of trees. And I would have run into some manner of monster by now. Where am I? _

Twilight wondered further through the forest, unsure of what she should do. _To tired to teleport. Maybe a navigation spell? _Just as Twilight was going to attempt a spell, she reached the edge of the forest. Before her stood a large building, the words 'Gregory House' glowing yellow from it. _Maybe somepony inside knows where I am. _Twilight thought, heading towards the house. Just before she entered, she felt a chill run up her spine and into her horn. "What in the world?" She wondered aloud. _There must be some kind of danger near. _Twilight realized. She briefly considered trying to pin point the danger, but decided that there was bound to be dangerous things all around this forest, and she was in no shape for a confrontation. When she knocked on the door, the door creaked open. "Um, hello?" Twilight called, slowly walking into the house. Twilight guessed from the inside that this was an inn of some sort. It was dimly lit and dead quiet, too quiet. "Would you like a room my dear?"


	2. Night 2

_I was approached by a strange little man, unlike any I've seen before. I couldn't put my hoof on it, but something wasn't right him. And I don't just mean his species._

Twilight, startled by the sudden voice after so long in the silence, nearly jumped out of her skin. "Oh, my apologies my dear. I really shouldn't go around scaring ponies like that." The voice said. "Oh, it's alright. I suppose I am a little-" Twilight's sentence was interrupted by her own gasp. She wasn't talking to a pony. She was talking to a five foot tall rat, standing on his hind legs. His body seemed as though that was just how he was supposed to stand. Twilight was baffled. "Is there something wrong my dear?" The rat asked. "Your-Your a rat. Your a giant, talking rat." Twilight said. "Why, yes I am. And your an alicorn. It seems we're both seeing new creatures today." He said with a laugh. There was nothing malicious about the laugh, but something about it made Twilight shiver. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Gregory; I'm in charge here at Gregory House. As I asked before, would you like a room for the night?" "Oh, so this is an inn then?" Twilight asked. "Of sorts." Gregory said with that chilling laugh. "Well in any event, I can't stay. I have to get back home." Twilight said. "Travel through the forest at this time of night? My dear, don't take this the wrong way but, do you have a death wish? You may be an alicorn, but even you need sleep." Gregory said. Twilight was about to protest, when she realized how tired she really was. _Nothing about that forest seems friendly. I'm sure my friend will understand if I'm a day late. _"Of course they'll understand." Gregory said. "How did you know what I was thinking?" Twilight asked, suspicious. "I know lots of things. But I don't believe I know your." Gregory said. "Twilight Sparkle." Twilight said. "The princess Twilight Sparkle?" Gregory questioned, "Well isn't this a treat. It's not to often we get royalty here at Gregory House," Gregory said, "I'll show you to your room for the night." Gregory said, grabbing a key ring and candle from the desk.

Gregory lead Twilight through the halls to room 205. "Welcome to your room my dear." Gregory said, opening the door. The inside was rather plain. Closed windows, a wardrobe, a small bed, and strangely enough, a poster of a cat on the wall. "Have a good night my dear." Gregory said, closing the door. "Wait, I've never seen or even heard of your species before." Twilight said. "I think you'll find that there are quite a few unusual things here at Gregory House." Gregory said, closing the door and laughing that same, spine tingling laugh.


	3. Night 3

_The plan was to just spend the night here and leave in the morning, but morning never came._

Twilight woke up and stretched. "Now to head back to Ponyville." Twilight walked through the halls towards the lobby. Twilight couldn't sense anything, but she still couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. The fact that the only sounds to be heard was the creaking of the floorboards didn't help. "Oh, hello my dear. Did you sleep well?" Twilight decided that she would never get used to Gregory's tendency to appear seemingly from nowhere. "I slept well Gregory. I'm glad that mornings here." Twilight made a mental note to come back later to ask Gregory about his species. "Morning? I'm sorry but you must be mistaken my dear." Gregory said, pulling back the curtains to reveal a pitch black sky. "What? It looks to be the dead of night, but I feel like I slept all night." Twilight said. "Well, sometimes we feel things because we want to feel them." Gregory said. "What do you mean?" Twilight asked. "It's simple really, sometimes what we think is real, isn't."

Twilight was on her way back to her room. She couldn't understand how she could feel so rested if she'd only been asleep an hour or two. She also couldn't get Gregory's word out of her head. _What did he mean? Was he just commenting on the situation? Or was there more to it? _Twilight's thoughts were interrupted by a voice. "Do you know, who I am? They call me Judgment Boy! Do you know, who I am? They call me Judgment Boy!" Twilight turned to face the voice, but didn't know how to handle what she saw. 'Judgment Boy' as he seemed to be called, had a body that was more humanoid than equine. His legs seemed to have been replace by a five pound weight connected to the bottom of his body by a chain. He wore a red and yellow striped shirt with the words 'Judgment Boy' written on it. He seemed to be connected to a sort of rail on the ceiling by his head. He had no arms, only bars jutting out of his shoulders. Chains hung from the bars, suspending small cages in the air. One cage held a glowing gold bit, the other a glowing pink heart. It was a ghastly sight and Twilight nearly gagged looking at it. "Judgment!" He shouted, coming to a halt in front of Twilight. "Um, hello. I assume your name is Judgment Boy. My name is-" "You are a princess. You are in the middle of a meeting that, if not handled correctly, could result in war. Suddenly you receive word that your friend was in an accident. Nothing major, but their pretty banged up. Do you finish the meeting, or do you leave to visit them in the hospital?" Twilight wasn't sure who this was or why she was being questioned, but it gave her a bad feeling. Somehow, she knew she had to answer; and she knew that there would turn out to be a clear right and wrong answer. "I stay in the meeting." Twilight answered hesitantly. "So you say, but I say we consult the balance of truth!" Judgment Boy began to spin rapidly, "Judgment, now!" He stopped spinning and the glowing bit fell out of it's holder to the ground, shattering. "You, being the kind and caring pony you are, choose to visit your friend in the hospital. Outraged, the delegates you were meeting with declare war. In the battle, your friends, family, and subjects are killed. It was your choice, and now you have to live with it." With that, Judgment Boy lopsidedly sailed away, all the while chanting, "Do you know, who I am? They call me Judgment Boy! Do you know, who I am? They call me Judgment Boy!" "But how could choosing friendship be wrong? It can't be wrong, I know it." Twilight told herself. "What you know, much like what you feel, is often just what you want to know," Gregory said, walking down the hall, "It makes you wonder, when can you really trust your own mind?" Gregory let out his laugh again. Twilight was beginning to wonder about her own mind.


	4. Night 4

_I learned a long while ago not to go overboard worrying about the future, but when do my worries start being justified?_

Twilight still didn't understand how so little time could've passed. She decided to take a walk to calm her nerves. She was alone in the hall when a strange fog appeared. _"I can see your future." _From the fog came what looked like a gypsy's stand. _"Would you like to see?" _Twilight looked at the gypsy woman in the stand. She looked like some sort of amphibian, like a humanoid frog. "Are you a fortune teller?" Twilight asked. She hadn't studied very much future sighting, but was well aware that, to a small degree, the future could be predicted. "Sure, why not?" Twilight told the gypsy. The gypsy gazed into her crystal ball, _"Crying. Yes, I see crying in both the near and distant future. If you wish not to be defeated, I suggest you dry your tears." _The gypsy said as she faded into the fog. Slowly, the fog lifted from the hall, leaving it empty. Gregory was right about the other guests here. Twilight continued down the hall into she began to her crying. It sounded like the crying of a filly. Twilight followed it until she found a small,tan, red headed filly. She had no cutie mark, unsurprising considering her age. She was sobbing to herself, a heartbreaking sight. "Hello, my name is Twilight. What's wrong?" Twilight asked. "I-I lost my dolly. She's my only friend, and now she's gone. I want my dolly back!" The filly continued sobbing. "Oh, don't cry, I'll help you find her." Twilight said. "R-really? Thank you." Twilight began to help the filly search the halls for her dolly. "Katie? Katie? Where are you?" The filly called. _The doll's name must be Katie_ Twilight realized. Before too long, the filly broke down crying again. Twilight tried to calm her down, but to no avail. "I. Want. My. Dolly!" The filly shot into the air. Her head turned around, revealing a horrible blue face on the back her head. The face laughed maniacally, bearing it's fangs. Twilight instinctively fired a bolt of magical energy. The filly fell limp and silent to the ground, strings burned. _Strings? But does that mean... could she be... _Twilight practically stampeded back to her room. She slammed the door behind her and sank to the floor, tears streaming down her face. She began to hear the gypsy woman's words in her head. _Crying. Yes, I see crying in both the near and distant future. If you wish not to be defeated, I suggest you dry your tears. _Twilight didn't know what would be trying to defeat her, but she didn't plan to find out. Twilight wasn't waiting until morning. She was going to leave Gregory House.


	5. Night 5

_I'd tried to justify the things I'd seen, but now there's no way I can deny the strange nature of Gregory House._

Twilight marched down to the front room and headed for the door.

"Is there something wrong my dear?" Gregory asked. Twilight had the instinctual urge to run away, but didn't act on it.

"I'm leaving." Twilight stated. "But it's still dark out," Gregory said, real sounding concern in his voice, "You could get hurt." "I'm an alicorn." Twilight said. "Even an alicorn needs their rest." Gregory said.

"I'll be fine." _It's like he's trying to keep me here_. "Thank you for the room." Twilight left a few bits on the table and walked out the door.

Twilight walked through the forest, dead set on making it home even if it took all night. Soon Twilight noticed the bright fog shrouding the ground. Looking around, she saw tomb stones. Twilight gulped. She was in a cemetery. _No need to be afraid_, she told herself, _just keep walking. _Twilight continued on her way until she hear something grown. It was a long, slow, sleepy sound, like something horrible waking up from a long rest. Twilight walked faster.

"Stop moving." Twilight turned around to try and spot who was following her. Try as she might, she could find nothing. Deciding that she was hearing things, she continued on her way.

"I said, stop moving!" Something reached up from the ground and grabbed Twilight's leg. She screamed and blasted it away.

"Hold still." More and more of the things reached from the ground at Twilight. Twilight identified that that they were skeletal forelegs. _Necromancy? But who..? why..? how..?_ Twilight let out a wave of magic, blasting away the limbs. Just as quickly as they were blown away, they were replaced by new ones. No matter how many times she blew them away, they came back. _Where are they coming from? _Twilight jumped into the air, trying to escape by flight. Twilight hear an unsettling cracking sound and looked down. To her horror, they skeletons where forming together as pegasi. The skeletal pegasi flew after Twilight. Twilight flew as fast as she could, occasionally letting out a blast of magic at the nightmares behind her. Eventually she saw a light. She flew toward it and saw that it was a building. She flew head first into the door, slamming it behind her.

"Are you quite alright my dear?"


	6. Night 6

I knew that there were many things wrong with this house, but I didn't know how many until I met a forlorn feline and heard his sad story.

Gregory escorted Twilight back to her room. She moves slowly, still trying to process all the things she'd seen. "Try to get some sleep my dear. Oh, and perhaps give up on that hope of leaving. It's rather hard to watch." Gregory said. Twilight was about to protest, but Gregory left, closing the door behind him with his trademark chuckle. Twilight began to pace back and forth, trying to think. She took out some paper and began to formulate a plan.

"So you're actually working on a plan huh? I guess you're smarter than the others. They usually just wing it."

Twilight whirled around to see who had spoken, but there was nothing behind her. "Hello?" She called hesitantly, afraid of what might call back.

"Hello." The voice seemed to be coming from behind the wall. "Who are you?" Twilight asked. "They call me Nekozombie."

"Nekozombie?" Twilight asked. _Neko meaning feline, zombie meaning undead, _Twilight thought, suddenly weary of the voice. "You don't need to be afraid of me. I don't bite; can't anymore." Nekozombie said sadly. "What do you mean?" Twilight asked. Nekozombie sighed and told Twilight his tale. How he'd once been a peaceful cat, with lovely black fur. Then they, whoever they were, came into his room in the middle of the night and sewed his face. His mouth, eyes, nose, ears, everything; like a patchwork quilt. Twilight gasped. "Yeah, nowadays everyone at Gregory House sleeps with their door locked. You might want to do the same." Twilight magically locked her door; she wondered why she hadn't been doing so from the start.

"Nekozombie, you mentioned others. What did you mean?" Twilight asked. Twilight could hear Nekozombie sigh. "It happens every so often. Someone comes in, and they don't get out. Not for lack of trying. They don't die, but they might as well.

There are only two I can remember. The first was Steven Hanawa. Now most just call him Salary man. The second was a girl. I forget her name. She was better at it than Steven. When something happened to her, she fought back; Steven usually just ran. Neither of them ever tried to make a plan though." _So this house claims victims regularly_, Twilight though, _maybe I can save the other two. _Twilight shook her head. Nekozombie had made it clear they were already lost to the world; she needed to focus on saving herself. Even as she thought this, she knew it wasn't true. 


	7. Night 7

_I knew I had to help the other guests who'd become trapped here. But after meeting them, I'm not sure I can. _

Twilight got the former guests room numbers from Nekozombie. The first was Steven Hanawa, AKA Salary man. Twilight walked to Steven's room and knocked on the door. From behind the door, there was a sound like someone waking up from a restless sleep. "Oh no! I'm late for work!" twilight backed away from the door just in time to avoid it as it swung open with ridiculous force. "I'm late for work! I'm late for work!" Steven was a tall brown earth pony. His cutie mark showed a time card. And a few spread sheets. His face was… odd. It looked dull, almost like a cardboard box, his eyes and mouth looking like holes carved into it. "Excuse me, are you Steven Hanawa?" Twilight asked. Steven looked around frantically. When his eyes landed on Twilight, they widened. "My business card madam." He said handing her a small white card with the name 'Steven Hanawa' on it. "Mr. Hanawa, my name is Twilight Sparkle. I was wondering-" Steven, apparently not hearing her, ran off down the hall. "I'm late for work! I'm late for work! My business card sir. I'm late for work!" Twilight turned around to see Gregory, peering down at Steven's business card. "Poor man, all he ever does is work, morning noon and night." Gregory said. "What exactly is his work?" Twilight asked carefully. "You know what, it never occurred to me to ask," Gregory chuckled, "I'll have to remember to ask his sometime."

Twilight decided to try talking to Steven again when he got back from work. In the meantime, she thought it best to visit the second guests. Nekozombie didn't know her name. He also warned Twilight to be careful. No one had seen much of the second guest after her 'transformation'. Nekozombie didn't seem comfortable explaining what that meant. _I'm not sure I want to either,_ Twilight thought grimly. Twilight knocked on the second guess' door. There was no response. "Um, hello?" Twilight called. "Go away." The voice sounded… desperate. Desperate to be alone; filled with anger and sorrow. Hearing it made Twilight instinctively want to ask what was wrong, but she had to focus. "My name is Twilight Sparkle. It's come to my attention that this hotel is extremely dangerous and intentionally so. As a princess I have a certain degree of pull in these matters and would like to speak with you about having this place shut down." Twilight grinned to herself, pleased at how professional she sounded. "I said, GO AWAY!" It occurred to Twilight that the second guest might be in some sort of confinement, like Nekozombie. "If you're in some kind of trouble I can-" "LEAVE!" Before Twilight could say or do anything, she was thrown away from the door. Twilight couldn't quite pin down what form of magic it was, but she hadn't been able to see it coming and hadn't been able to block it. She crashed down the hall, stopping when she hit a wall.

Twilight paced outside Steven's room. She'd been waiting for him to return for what she was certain had to be hours. When he finally returned, he charged directly into his room, muttering about how he had to get back to work and ignoring Twilight completely. Twilight stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do, then she headed back to her room. _I want to help them, but how? _"Sometimes people don't want to be helped," Twilight froze, then turned to see Gregory leaning against the wall, "It's better to just let them be; otherwise you might just make things worse." Gregory sauntered off, chuckling as he did so. _No, that can't be right._ Twilight was beginning to doubt her own thoughts, and she wasn't sure if the thoughts she thought she trusted were her own.


	8. Night 8

I remember how my friend Applejack valued the truth. I wonder if she would think the same after being in the house awhile.

Twilight paced around her room. She knew she couldn't go out the front door, the skeletons would get her. The previous guests would be no help. Nekozombie wasn't speaking at the moment, probably because of the sounds of pain she'd heard coming from his room earlier. Twilight sighed at the thought of Nekozombie. For anything to go through so much pain, she couldn't even imagine. Then she got an idea. There has to be a reason Gregory keeps him locked up, maybe if I can free him, he can help me escape! Twilight thought. Twilight left her room and stood outside Nekozombie's. She focused on the locks, remembering a spell she'd learned awhile back. She breathed deeply; she was going to need complete focus…

"Do you know, who I am? They call me Judgment Boy!" Twilight's spell faltered, recoiling and giving her a splitting headache.

"Do you know, who I am? They call me Judgment Buy. Judgment!" Judgment Boy came to a halt in front of Twilight, grinning down at her. Not this again. Twilight hoped. "You are out on a walk on a peaceful afternoon. Suddenly you see your brother and your friend handing over the side of a ravine. Who do you save?" Judgment Buy questioned. "I cast a spell to save them both?" Twilight's answer came out more of a question; she was unsure of herself by now. "So you say, but I say we consult the balance of truth!" Judgment Boy spun on his axis as he had before, stopping and dropping out the golden bit a second time. "Without even thinking, you rush to your friend's aid, believing that your brother can save himself. Without your help, your brother falls to his death. Your friends praise you as a hero, but your family shuns you as a traitor. It was your choice, you have to live with it." Judgment Boy told her as he leaned to the side. Suddenly he took off again, "Do you know, who I am? They call me Judgment Boy! Do you know, who I am? They call me Judgment Boy!" Twilight stood their, thinking. _If I did save my friend instead of Shining armor, he'd still be fine. He's Shining; would it really end that badly if I went to help my friend instead? _Twilight wondered, then stopped herself. That's how she was thinking in Judgment Boy's hypothetical. Shining wasn't a pegasis and he couldn't teleport, he'd be doomed if he fell. _Maybe Judgment Boy is trying to help me to think harder? Maybe he's an alley? _Twilight thought, but she knew she was grasping at straws trying to figure everything out. So far, she realized, only the bit had fallen from Judgment Boy's scale. If she felt this conflicted now, what would happen when the heart finally fell?


	9. Night 9

_With all the confusion, I'd forgotten to eat. Now I wish I hadn't remembered._

Twilight's stomach rumbled. At first she actually couldn't identify the noise, her mind jumping to the conclusion that it must be coming from another guest who'd come to pay her a visit. Then it occurred to her that she hadn't eaten since she'd arrived. As much as she didn't want to leave her room, she knew she had to eat something. She hadn't even made it off her bed when there was a knock at the door. Twilight was reluctant to open it, but in the end, figured it would seem suspicious if she didn't. She opened the door and saw Gregory with what she assumed was a dinner cart. "Hello my dear, I thought you might be hungry, so I had the chef cook you a meal, on the house of course." Gregory gestured to the soup on the cart. Twilight was automatically suspicious of Gregory's incredible timing, but was too hungry to think very deep into it. She was about the try the soup, when she was a glowing red pair of eyes watching from behind the door. Twilight's eyes narrowed, "Actually, I'm not very hungry right now." She said. Gregory's eyes widened and he turned to the door, worry in his eyes. A deep growl came from the door as it swung open, revealing a tall, metallic white unicorn. His eyes glowed a blood red. He wore a chef's apron, though it didn't cover up his cutie mark: two blood soaked butcher knives piercing raw meat. His horn ended in a candle. He levitated a ridiculously large knife in front of him as he growled again. "Oh no! You've insulted the Hell's Chef! Please my dear, eat the soup before he goes into a greater rage!" Gregory pleaded. At first, Twilight wasn't all that afraid of the chef, she was an alicorn princess after all. But then she saw the fear in Gregory's eyes. Whatever the chef was about the do, even Gregory was afraid. Twilight levitated the spoon to eat the soup. It tasted horrible, like rotted meat, sour milk, and over ripe fruit. The more she drank, the less hostile Hell's Chef became, even lowering the knife. Twilight struggled not to gag, doing so would insult Chef and send him into an assault. She kept eating, determined to finish the soup as quickly as possible. Suddenly she teeth bit down on something hard and metallic. At first, she thought she'd bit her spoon, but then she saw it something else entirely. Upon inspection, it was a horseshoe. "Oh, never mind that my dear. Sometimes when making stock, some of the trimmings fell into the mix." Gregory said, looking back and forth between Twilight and Chef. Twilight remain frozen for a moment, confused. Then the realization of what he'd said hit her, and she couldn't hold her vomit. As she wretched, she heard the Chef growl and the knife rise. Thinking quick, she rolled away just in time to avoid the knife as it sailed across the room. Before she could make another move, the Chef was directly above her. Chef levitated the knife over Twilight, hate in his eyes. Instinct took over, Twilight summoned her magic and let out as much power as she could, all aimed at the homicide chef. The magical attack didn't seem to cause any physical damage, but the force of the strike blew out his candle of a horn. The moment the candle horn went out, Chef froze, the light in his eyes fading. "I must say, that was quick thinking my dear." Gregory complimented, pulling the frozen chef out of the room. "He's a loose cannon, but he's the best chef I've ever seen. I'll send someone to clean up the mess." "No!" Twilight shouted, not wanting to meet any other guests soon, "I'll clean it." "If you say so my dear." Gregory chuckled as he shut the door.

Twilight cleared away her vomit with her magic and sat down on her bed. Her stomach rumbled, she still hadn't technically eaten anything. Suddenly she heard an almost imperceptible shuffling from the wall. She inspected the wall and found a small hole. Inside was a tray with a biscuit and a amateurly fixed salad of random fruits and veggies. "Got to keep your strength up if your going to escape." Nekozombie's voice said. There was slight humor in his voice, and Twilight smiled. She had fewer and fewer things to smile about the longer she was here.

'


	10. Night 10

_I know my friends are worried about me, but if they've given up hope, how can I keep it?_

Twilight wondered the halls. To the average onlooker, she was wondering aimlessly, with no purpose or destination. But in truth, she was scouting. She'd realized by now that Gregory House wasn't a place you could just walk out of. She'd need intelligence. So, she walked through the halls, observing the features of the house. She memorized every crack, turn, stair way, and door. She also took note of the guests. She was smart enough to avoid them if she could help it, but she found that not all of them were hostile. One guest who'd requested she call him Clock Master was nothing more than a drunk. Twilight sensed that he may have had powerful magic at one point or another, but he was harmless now. She made a mental note to avoid the Cactus Gunman at all costs. He may not hold any malicious intent towards Twilight, but destruction seemed imminent in his presence. She was curious about a guest named Roulette Boy, who seemed to frighten even Hell's Chef. An alley like that could be useful. It was during one of Twilight's recon missions that she saw a brilliant blue glow. Intrigued, she followed the light through the house. When she finally cornered it, she was met with an odd sight. The glow came from a fish that seemed to swim through the air. It face was some form of box with what looked to be antenna sprouting from the top. "Hello?" Twilight asked, wondering if the creature could understand her. At her voice, the fish looked at her directly. The screen began to flicker, then revealed an image. The pictures moved, like looked through a cloudy window. Twilight saw three ponies she didn't recognize. They looked like alicorns. "We've kept up the search as long as we can," the largest of the three said, "It's time we face the facts." "No!" The smallest one cried, "We have to find her! She could still be out their!" "I'm sorry Cadence, but she's right. Terrible as it is, Princess Twilight is… gone." The third alicorn said. The smaller one, Cadence, began to cry. The screen flickered and faded. _Cadence, why does that sound so familiar… Cadence! How could I forget!_ Twilight realized with a shock that she hadn't recognized Luna or Celestia either. The screen flickered again, this time showing five grief stricken mares and a lone baby dragon cleaning out a castle in silence. No words passed between them, and the screen flickered off. It took Twilight a few moments to place all her friends' names. "Why, why couldn't I recognize them?" Twilight asked herself. "It's quite simple my dear," Twilight turned to see Gregory, "TV Fish's reception is dependent on your memory, if you're out of focus, so is he." Gregory chuckled as he walked down the hall. Twilight rushed to her room. She found a quill and some paper. She wrote down all her friends' names, drawing a crude picture of them next to it for good measure. Maybe it was just a mind game, or maybe it was real. _Regardless_, Twilight told herself, _I won't forget them again._


	11. Night 11

_I figured I'd check the basement, to see if there might be something to help me, maybe even a way out. I can't believe how foalish I was._

Twilight moved as quietly as she could down the halls. It took some time, but eventually she found the door to the basement. Twilight was confused when she saw that the door was adorned with more locks and chains then even Nekozombie's. _What don't you want me to find Gregory? _Twilight wondered. The door's defenses, mind boggling to most, barely even registered as an inconvenience to Twilight. A simple spell and the chains all hit the floor. Twilight opened the door, but could see nothing of the room behind the wall was darkness. Twilight suddenly became hesitant at the sight of the void. Determined to see what was inside, Twilight lit up her horn, and pushed inside. The door slammed shut behind Twilight after she entered. It should have surprised her, as she seemed to be alone, but she was getting used to the reasonless-ness of Gregory House. _All the more reason to hurry, _She thought. Try as she might, Twilight couldn't brighten the room to see anything beyond an inch in front of her face. Then she heard a rather chilling, and at the same time childishly disarming, giggle. Suddenly tiles on the floor began to glow, illuminating the room. Twilight looked around, realizing that the floor was essentially a giant game board. "Sin me! Spin me!" Twilight spun around to see a young boy, smiling at her innocently. Aside from the large roulette wheel on his head, he looked relatively normal. Based on her appearance, Twilight assumed that this was the 'Roulette Boy' that she'd heard the other guests talking about. She suddenly became wary of the boy, remembering the fear with which the other guests spoke of him. "Spin me! Spin me!" Roulette Boy chimed again. "Do you mean you want me to spin the wheel?" Twilight asked. Roulette Boy nodded as best he could without tipping his wheel. "Why?" Twilight asked suspiciously. Roulette Boy frowned, "Spin me!" he pleaded. The was an heir of urgency in his voice, like he was afraid of Twilight not spinning the wheel. She wondered what he thought would happen if she didn't, but then it occurred to her that, in this place, something bad probably could happen if she didn't spin the wheel. Not wanting to risk being the cause of anyone's pain, Twilight spun the wheel. It landed on the number four. "Now move four spaces!" Roulette Boy said enthusiastically. At first, Twilight didn't understand, then she realized that he meant the tiles. Twilight was unsure, sometime ago, she might have had the good sense not to do it, but she stepped forward three spaces. The tile flashed the word **FIRE **and Twilight's entire body was engulfed in flame. Twilight put it out in less than a second with her magic, but her nerves were shot. "Spin me! Spin me!" Twilight looked at Roulette Boy. She briefly contemplated blasting him and running, but she was smarter than that. Even if she got a direct hit, the game would go on. She didn't have it in her to kill him. So she spun again.

**WATER. TWISTER. PLAQUE. COUGH. LIGHTNING. SAFE. MAGIC. LAVA. SAFE. CUT. CRUSH. CHOKE. SAFE. **It went on for hours. By the time Twilight reached the end, she was in more pain than she could even remember being in. she fell to the floor, now just a floor, bleeding slowly. She could tell she was probably bleeding on the inside too. Perhaps she had a collapsed lung. She'd broken too many parts of her to even attempt standing up. It occurred to her that, damaged as she was, she could very well die. Before she could think to deeply about it though, she heard the door open. "Oh no!" Twilight groaned in pain as she was lifted onto a stretcher. "Don't worry my dear, your safe now. I'll take you to Katherine." She couldn't remember where she'd heard the name, but Twilight couldn't imagine how she could make things worse.


	12. Night 12

_Looking back on it, I think I would have liked it better if they'd left me in the basement._

Twilight woke up in a hospital bed. She guessed from her surroundings that she was in some sort of nurse's office. When she tried to get up, she realized how much her entire body ached. It took her a moment to remember the events that had taken place in the basement. She wondered briefly why Gregory would save her if he was trying to have her killed. _Maybe he's a good guy?_ She wondered, _Or maybe he has something worse planned. _Before she could continue the thought, the door opened and two figures walked in. The first was Gregory, but Twilight didn't recognize the second. It appeared to be female, and Twilight assumed from her uniform that she was the nurse. The species was harder to pin down. At first Twilight thought she was a dragon of some kind, but the snout and jaw line were wrong.  
"Hello my dear. I'm terribly sorry for that mess with Roulette Boy; we keep him down there for a reason. But you're safe now. This is Katherine; she's the nurse here at Gregory House. She's going to make sure your back in good health." Gregory said.  
Gregory's voice let on that he was sincere, but there was something in Katherine's eyes that Twilight didn't trust.  
"You'll be good as new in no time." Katherine said with a grin.  
Gregory gave Katherine a worried look, "Remember Katherine, you need to help our guest get better. She has real wounds to treat. And if you must take her blood, do so sparingly, alright?"  
Katherine gave Gregory an annoyed look. "I know Gregory; I am a professional after all. Now shoo, at can't work with you in here." Katherine assured him.  
Gregory seemed skeptical, but left Katherine to her work.  
When Gregory left, the look of hunger/lust became even more apparent on Katherine's face. At first, Katherine tried to restrain herself, and she treated some of Twilight's more severe wounds. But after about ten minutes, she couldn't take it anymore.  
"I'm going to have to take some blood." Katherine said, practically drooling. Twilight didn't like any part of the look on the reptilian nurse's face. Her fears were confirmed when she saw the five foot needle. For a moment, Twilight was frozen from the shock of the needle. When she recovered, she tried to recoil, but the pain from her wounds was too much.  
"Alicorn blood," Katherine moaned, aiming the needle, "I've never taken alicorn blood!"  
Katherine jammed the needle into Twilight's chest. The pain was unspeakable, but Twilight was only conscious for a few moments.

Twilight didn't know how long she'd been out. She looked down and cringed at the sight of the two dozen needle holes riddling her body. She didn't know were Katherine had gone, but she wasn't about to wait and find out. It took all the effort she could muster just to get outside the door. Twilight collapsed when she reached the hall. She tried to get back up, but couldn't. Her whole body tensed up when she heard the footsteps. Katherine was coming back. Twilight couldn't stand up and couldn't muster the power to teleport, but she was could still crawl. She got to the bottom of the stairs before she passed out again.

Twilight wasn't conscious, but she was aware of someone lifting her up and carrying her away. _Katherine found me,_ she thought, but couldn't do anything about it.

Twilight woke up in her room. At first she didn't know how she'd gotten there, then she heard Nekozombie.  
"It wasn't easy getting to you, and Gregory wasn't happy when he found out," Nekozombie sounded weaker than usual, "But I couldn't just let Katherine find you."  
Twilight was speechless. She didn't know how Nekozombie got out. Why he stopped to save her rather than escape. What Gregory had done to punish him. Or what she was going to do next. But she did know one thing. _If Nekozombie could keep his mind, maybe I can to._


	13. Night 13

_I just wanted to help him; I guess I should have known that he, like all the others was beyond help._

Twilight had decided that it was in her best interest to keep an inventory of all the guests in Gregory House. She would watch them from as far away as possible and, after she'd seen enough, label them as 'avoid at all costs', 'avoid if possible', 'far gone but harmless', 'far gone and dangerous', or 'alley'. She'd spent what she assumed was a night gathering data.  
_Fantasy Man: avoid if possible. James: far gone and dangerous. Clock Master: far gone but harmless.  
_Twilight was bound and determined to find an alley. It was during her hunt that she came across a very strange dog.  
He and his son both stood on twos. In addition, they both seemed to be mummified. It was a sloppy job, but it was interesting none the less. Their most interesting feature however, was the weaponry extruding from their heads; an axe from the son's head and a sword from the father's. What's more, they didn't seem aware of the weapons.  
"Do you, um, feel alright?" Twilight final asked, unable to hold off any longer. "Well now that you mention it, I've had a terrible headache for as long as I can remember. My boy has the same thing. We think it might be some sort of cold." The mummy dog said.  
Twilight would have been baffled, but this wasn't the strangest thing she'd seen in Gregory House. As the mummy dog went about his day, Twilight convinced herself that she could make him an alley. _I'll have to remove the sword first, _Twilight thought, _it's probably what's limiting his brain functions; no doubt it was put there by Gregory.  
_Twilight wondered briefly if removing the sword would harm the mummy dog in some way, but pushed the thought aside, knowing she could heal any damage.  
She waited until the mummy dog wasn't looking; believing it would be easier for him that way, then gripped it with her magic. It took some effort, the sword was snuck deep, but eventually Twilight managed to levitate the blade out of his head.  
"How do you feel?" Twilight asked hesitantly. Twilight noticed that his breathing had become erratic. The mummy dog's chest rose and fell sharply.  
Before Twilight could ask again, the mummy dog turned. His eyes were glowing red and let out a growl similar to a dog with rabies.  
"Daddy, are you alright?" His son asked nervously. The mummy dog let out a roar and reached to strike his son. Twilight magically pulled the son out of the way, and when the mummy dog's paw hit the wall, the wall practically exploded.  
The mummy dog roared again and charged out of the room. "What's wrong with my dad?" The son asked. Twilight couldn't answer; she couldn't look away from the path of destruction the mummy dog was leaving in his wake.

The mummy dog destroyed anything that got too close. When Twilight caught up, the mummy dog had his paws wrapped around Gregory's throat.  
"P-pleazz my deahr," Gregory choked out, "Hehlp! Puht the serd bahk!" Twilight looked back and forth between the mummy dog and Gregory. For a moment, she considered letting the dog kill Gregory, but knew she couldn't.  
"I can't just hurt him!" Twilight said, looking from the sword to Gregory. "Cahn yah reahhly lelt thish keep on!?"  
Twilight didn't have time to think it through, so she did the logical thing. She cut the sword back into his head.  
The mummy dog dropped Gregory, his eyes returning to normal. "W-what happened?" The mummy dog asked.  
"Oh, oh nothing sir, just a little case of a brave girl doing what needed to be done." Gregory said, looking at Twilight with praise.  
It had been a complement, but it hit Twilight like a smack to the face.


	14. Night 14

_I thought that if I acted fast I could get the better of him, but he was one step ahead._

Twilight continued taking her inventory of the guests, knowing that escape wouldn't be possible without at least one alley.  
After a few hours, she realized how tired she was and made her way back to her room. Before she could reach her room though, he heard a familiar chant.  
"Do you know, who I am? They call me Judgment Boy! Do you know, who I am? They call me Judgment Boy!"  
The sound of the chant sent a chill down Twilight's spine. She turned and saw the shadow the living scale was casting from around the corner.  
Twilight was tired, scared, and had no desire to face Judgment Boy again. She contemplated turning and running away, but there was nowhere to go. Anywhere she went, Judgment Boy could follow. Not to mention she didn't have enough energy.  
But Twilight decided she didn't want to consult the balance of truth again, at least not until she'd had some sleep.  
Twilight could hear Judgment Boy getting closer. _Could I make it to my room? _She wondered, but shook her head. Her room was too far, Judgment Boy would reach her before she made it.  
"Do you know, who I am? They call me Judgment Boy! Do you know, who I am? They call me Judgment Boy!"  
_I have to do something, _She thought as the chanting grew closer still, _Maybe if I act fast, without thinking, I can make it to where he can't judge me. _  
Twilight was conscious of the fact that that didn't make any sense, but few things in Gregory House did. Twilight approached the corner slowly. "Do you know, who I am? They call me Judgment Boy! Do you know, who I am? They call me-" Twilight fired an incredibly powerful blast of magic energy, believing that she could damage Judgment Boy enough so that she could escape.  
But when she looked to the ground in front of her, Clock Master laid there, badly wounded from Twilight's attack.  
Other guests gathered to see the damaged time ruler. "Daddy!?" Clock Master's son wailed when he saw him.

"I-I don't…" Twilight started. "Judgment now!"  
Twilight spun around to see Judgment Boy behind her. She turned just in time to see the glowing pink heart shatter on the floor.  
"You chose to strike brashly, lashing out with blind fury. As a result, an innocent man was harmed. It was your choice, now you have to live with it. "Do you know, who I am? They call me Judgment Boy! Do you know, who I am? They call me Judgment Boy!"  
Twilight stood there, feeling empty and broken, like the remains of the glowing heart on the floor. _No matter what I do, they always win. How am I going to get out of here?_


	15. Night 15

_I should have known better than to think I'd found a way out. I guess I'm just getting desperate._

Twilight had been pacing back and forth through her room for hours, thinking about possible ways to escape, occasionally asking Nekozombie something about Gregory House.

After some time, Twilight heard what sounded like a taxi outside. She looked outside the window and, sure enough, Gregory was exiting a cab.

Twilight felt a spark of hope, "Nekozombie, there's a taxi outside!" "Doesn't matter. It won't work." Nekozombie muttered through the wall.

"Well we have to try; we might be able to get out." Twilight urged. "Go ahead and try if you want, but it won't work."

Twilight thought about staying, but knew that the taxi wouldn't stay much longer. Besides, once she home, she could send a siege party to bring Gregory House down.

Twilight ran from her room all the way to the front way. "Why hello my dea-" Twilight didn't slow down, she dashed directly out the door, magically opened the taxi door, and jumped in. she slammed the door and called urgently to the taxi driver, "Ponyville, hurry!"

The driver nodded and the taxi rode off. It wasn't until the vehicle was in motion did Twilight realize there wasn't anypony pulling it. After her time in Gregory House, the taxi moving by itself didn't really surprise her.

After about an hour, the driver spoke, "So, a few more miles then head back to the House right?"

Twilight looked at him, baffled, "No, I need to go back to Ponyville." She said. "Uh, sorry, I can't do that."

"Why not?" Twilight groaned. "Do you have any idea what Gregory would do to me if I actually took a guest home? Gregory likes to cut his losses. More accurately, he likes to let Chef cut his losses for him." The driver said with a shiver. Twilight sighed as the taxi turned around.

"Did you enjoy your drive my dear?" Gregory asked when Twilight entered the house. "I guess." Twilight grumbled as she slumped back to her room.

"I told you it wouldn't work." Nekozombie said when he heard Twilight close the door to her room. "Yeah, yeah you did." Twilight sighed.

"Don't worry, you'll find some way out." Nekozombie assured her.

"It looks like she's made a friend," Gregory said to himself as he listened to Twilight and Nekozombie making plans, "wouldn't it just be terrible if something happened to him?" He said with a chuckle.


	16. Night 16

_You never really know how low someone can go until you see it first hand. Evil is too kind a word to describe Gregory._

Twilight struggled to stay awake as she copied down a layout map of Gregory House from memory. Occasionally she would nod off and Nekozombie, not hearing her work, would call to wake her up. Twilight smiled, glad she had at least one friend with her.  
Then, after an amount of hours unknown to Twilight, she finished her map and went to sleep. "Goodnight Nekozombie," Twilight called, "Just a few more days, er nights rather, and we can get out of here." "Goodnight Twilight." Nekozombie yawned, clearly skeptical of his own chances of escape.

Twilight didn't know if it was the squeaking of the floorboards of the clanking of the vault door of Nekozombie's room, but something woke her up. She was groggy and confused, so she stayed in her bed and listened to what was happening in the next room.  
"Wakey! Wakey!" Gregory shouted. His shout was followed by a sound that Twilight could only guess was a kick to Nekozombie. Suddenly aware of the fact that her friend was in danger, Twilight started to get out of bed.  
"What are you three doing here?" Nekozombie questioned. "Well, I couldn't help but notice that you haven't payed your rent in quite a few years. This is a very serious offense with very serious repercussions. Me, Chef, and Katherine are here to enforce the law."  
Twilight froze at the mention of Katherine and Hell's Chef. If it were one, or maybe even two of them alone, then Twilight could handle it. But all three of them, Twilight couldn't even imagine surviving that kind of confrontation. She wanted to do anything, to help Nekozombie, but she was paralyzed by the horrifying prospect of being trapped in a room with the blood thirsty nurse, the deranged chef, and worst of all, Gregory.  
What followed was over four hours filled with the sounds of fists beating, knives cutting, needles stabbing, grunts of effort, and Nekozombie's whimpering.  
Twilight tried to force herself out of her room, to go to Nekozombie's aid, but in all that time, in all her fear, she only made it to her door.

Finally, the sounds of torture ended and Nekozombie's door closed. When she was certain all three of them had left, Twilight ran and looked through the keyhole.  
Nekozombie lay on the stone floor, beaten, battered, bloodied, and defeated. "Nekozombie?" Twilight called, praying she would get an answer. "I'm... still... a-alive Twilight." Nekozombie said in pained breaths.  
Twilight let out a sigh of relief, "How bad is it?" She asked. "It's not the worst they've ever done, but I don't think I'll be moving for awhile." Nekozombie said. "You'll be okay enough to escape when the time comes right?"  
Nekozombie sighed, "Twilight, if I'm walking a month from now, it'll be a miracle. I'm sorry, but the only way your escaping alone, if you escape at all."  
Twilight wanted to tell him that he was wrong. That he'd be okay and they'd escape together. But she knew how weak Nekozombie had always been, and after this, he didn't have any spirit left to fight with.  
Twilight, eyes watering, stormed down the hall. Her emotions were all but bursting from her mind; sorrow, fear, guilt, worry, and strongest of all, anger. She was angry at all of Gregory house, and come hell or high water, she was determined to get out.


	17. Night 17

_I started to give up, if they couldn't make it how could I? But I luckily, I met a friend who gave me a chance._

Twilight ran down the hall, not stopping even when she almost tramped Gregory. Eventually, she reached her destination; the second guest's room.  
She banged on the door as hard as she could. "We need to talk!" Twilight shouted. There was a rustling from behind the door. "I already told you to go away." Twilight stomped.  
"Perhaps I wasn't clear." Twilight said, firing a magical blast and exploding the door inward. "We need to talk." Twilight entered the room without waiting for a response. It wasn't until she was in the room, did she finally question the logic of her actions.  
The room was dark, dank, and depressing; more so then the other places she'd seen in Gregory House. In the center of the room stood a figure, cloaked so their body couldn't be seen. The figure, who Twilight could only assume was the second guest, sighed. She waved her hand and in an instant, the door was repaired. "Okay, talk." She said.  
Twilight only hesitated for a second, "I need to know how to get out of Gregory House. Nekozombie told me how close you were to making it out." "The way I went won't work again. You can try to get the information for Steven, but it's a miracle anytime he says something that isn't directly related to his work."

"Surely you have to know something of value." Twilight pleaded. "I thought I did, but I guess I'm still here." The second guest muttered. "Would you quit it!" Twilight shouted, "I've had enough of all the hopelessness of everyone in this godforsaken house! Now tell me how to get out of here before I loose the rest of my sanity and start blasting ponies!"

The second guest sighed. "I'm sorry, I really am. But I found my way out by accident, and I blew it. I know you've been here awhile, but you still have no idea how evil this place is. Gregory doesn't just spread his own evil, he actively turns those around him evil. He's the kind of monster who turned me into this."  
The second guest removed her cloak, and Twilight gasped at the rat body underneath. "If you ever find a way out, do what me and Steven couldn't. Escape. And if you get a chance to take out that sewer rat, for the love of god, pull the trigger."

Twilight walked back towards her room with her head down. She'd looked at it from every angle she could think of, but there didn't seem to be anyway out. _Maybe I should just give up. _She thought pessimistically.  
"But you can't just give up!" Twilight's head shot up and looked around. At first, she saw nothing, and then she saw the angelic light appearing in front of her.

"Who-who are you?" Twilight questioned. The light faded, revealing a canine-like fairy holding a magic wand floating through the air, "I am a friend. I understand your skepticism, friends are few and far between here, but I urge you to trust me." The fairy dog said.

"I've never seen you in Gregory House before." Was all Twilight said. "I try to stay out of sight. If Gregory ever caught me, the guests would be truly without hope. I've always tried my best to help the guests, but there's only so much I can do. And if they don't believe they can escape, then my power is useless."  
Twilight began to fill a glimmer of hope, "What power is this?" She asked. The fairy dog smiled warmly, "Gregory likes to hide all the hope, but I can let you see it." The fairy dog waved her magic wand, and a glowing door appeared in front of Twilight.  
"You have to go now, before Gregory finds out. I won't be able to help you after you cross, so be careful." Twilight looked at the door in awe. "Thank you." She said, before entering the door. "Good luck!" The fairy dog called after her  
After the door closed, the fairy dog burst into hell fire, emerging as a devil dog, "Your going to need it. If your not willing to fight for your freedom, you'll wish you'd stayed out here!"


	18. Night 18

_I have no idea if what they say is true, or just another bit of bile. Either way, I'm done listening._

When Twilight exited the glowing door, she found herself in a room full of mirrors. There were no visible doors, windows, or passages out of the room, just mirrors of every shape and sized stashed in every corner.  
"Let me guess, you here to escape right?" Twilight turned to try and find who had spoken. She looked around, only ever seeing a piece of reflection.  
"Show yourself!" Twilight demanded. "Very well." The voice called. Twilight looked around, finally seeing an unmoving reflection. She turned to look at the owner of the reflection, but there was none. Confused, Twilight turned back to the mirror. The reflection chuckled, and stepped out of the mirror, "I do so enjoy it when they make it this far." The figure seemed to be a living mirror case. Twilight assumed that this was the 'Mirror Man' that she'd heard about during her information gathering. The words, 'Heaven, Hell, True, False,' were written along the edges of the box; no eyes or mouth visible.  
"If you're going to try and stop me, I will fight." Twilight said, igniting her horn. Mirror Man laughed, "Oh that's adorable! No, I won't try to stop you, but I also see no need to help you." Twilight remembered that she'd seen no exits.  
"How do I get out of here?" Twilight questioned. "Why, only the truth shall be your escape, but I don't think you want to see it." Mirror Man told her. "Show me." Twilight demanded, unsure of what exactly she was asking, but not caring so long as it helped her escape. "Are you sure? You might not like what you see." Mirror Man cautioned.  
"Show me!" Twilight shouted, firing a warning shot of magic energy less than a few inches away from Mirror Man. Mirror Man chuckled. "Very well, but I warned you."

Mirror Man swung open the doors of his mirror box body, reveal Twilight's reflection. Then slowly, the image began to change. The mirror revealed a tall alicorn. After a moment, Twilight recognized princess Celestia. Princess Luna entered the view. "I know that you are distressed sister, but there was nothing that you could do," Luna said, "There is a silver lining to this. Now that old fear of your's will never come to pass."  
"What fear?" Twilight asked quietly. As if in answer, the image changed, revealing a picture of Cadence and Twilight herself standing in front of a wall. The image itself looked peaceful, but then the shadows cast by the two alicorns spread up the wall. Cadence's shadow took the shape of a battered, weakened alicorn begging for mercy; Twilight's morphed into the alicorn striking Cadence down.  
"At least now," Celestia's voice said, "History will not repeat itself."

Twilight stared at the image, horrified. _They don't think… they don't believe that I would ever… _It was too much. Twilight, in spite of herself, began to cry. Then the gypsy's words replayed in her head. _Crying. Yes, I see crying in both the near and distant future. If you wish not to be defeated, I suggest you dry your tears._  
Twilight was done crying. She looked at the now laughing Mirror Man. "I told you that you might not like what you would see, but you didn't list-" He was cut off by Twilight firing a blast of magic, hitting him directly and sending mirror shards in all directions. Mirror Man flew back, and Twilight began firing her blast aimlessly through the room, destroying the mirrors.  
Eventually her attack revealed a tunnel behind a wall sized mirror, which she promptly ran through. She didn't plan on letting anything else stop her. So she didn't slow, even when she heard the yelling.  
"Intruder alert! Intruder alert! Intruder alert!"


	19. Night 19

_It's getting harder and harder to remember that I'm the princess of friendship, but there are a few, even here, who remind me._

"Intruder alert! Intruder alert! Intruder alert!" Twilight was prepared to blast the bird man off the safe he was perched on, but he saw who she was, he stopped. "Whoa, sorry about that, but can't be too careful in a place like this." The bird man indicated his surroundings.  
"Who are you?" Twilight questioned. "We're the ones who are going to get you out of here. That is, if you're willing to stop with the third degree." The bird man began kicking the vault he was perched on, "Wake up would ya! The princess is here!" A deep, metallic yawn sounded from the vault before its eyes opened, startling Twilight, who hadn't noticed the vault's face until now.  
"What's going on…? Oh it you!" The vault said, smiling. "You… you know who I am?" Twilight asked. "Of course we do, you're the princess. It's a good thing you found us when you did, I don't think your soul can last much longer in here." The vault said. "My… my soul?" Twilight didn't understand. "Yep, this place messes with your spirit, look." The bird man pointed to Twilight's cutie mark, or rather, he would have, if she still had it. Her hide was blank and dull gray. Twilight gasped, she hadn't even noticed.  
"It comes from being in here too long. Not a lot make it this far, especially when they've lost something. Lucky for you, we found it before old beady eyes did," The bird man said, "Open up already, Gregory could be here any second."  
The vault seemed to nod, "Be careful, you might lose it again." The vault opened its door, revealing a glimmering field… as well as Twilight's cutie mark. "Why are you helping me?" Twilight asked. "Because we're awesome like that," The bird man said, leaning back on the top of the vault, "Now hurry up before rat tail shows up."  
Twilight wanted to ask more questions, but she could hear scurrying from the path she had just come down. "Thank you." Twilight said before jumping into the vault. The vault door closed behind her and locked quickly. "I hope she makes it." The vault said, nodding off to sleep.  
"Where is she?!" Gregory asked as he charged into the room. "Who? The runaway guest?" The bird man asked. "Yes." Gregory nodded. "About this tall?" The bird man held a wing in the air, indicating height. "Yes." "Lavender coat, alicorn, used to be a princess of friendship?" The bird man asked. "Yes!" Gregory said. "Never heard of her." The bird man yawned.


End file.
